Not crazy, just observant
Reading Shelly’s creepy story about a guy videotaping her house reminded me of my own little quirk.
If I see someone suspicious in a car, I memorize their license plate. In fact, yesterday I was (legally and rightfully) crossing the street on my way to work, and a car lurched into the crosswalk and almost hit me. I glared at the driver and rolled my eyes.
The car then turned the corner and pulled up next to me on the curb. As I kept walking, it crept alongside me until I looked over. The closer I got to work, I debated whether I should keep walking. I decided to go into work and as I opened the door, I glanced back at the car, which suddenly sped off.
What the hell, right? So I memorized the license plate. That way, if anything happens to me, you can tell the police it was a guy with a crappy haircut in a black car, license HPT 839.
So tell me, do any of you keep either a mental or written list of license plate numbers from creepy people?
No but that is a good idea! I have however driven out of my way to avoid going home if I think someone is following me which is just paranoid (and also a product of watching and reading to many horror flicks/novels) but whatever it makes me feel better so there!
Comment by Christina — May 23, 2008 @ 11:20 am
What the hell? That is scary! I don’t encounter many creepy people in cars but if I did, I would totally write down the license plate number.
Comment by Jess — May 23, 2008 @ 11:29 am
I’ve definitely done the same thing before. Luckily I’ve never had to use that piece of information but you can never be too careful if you ask me.
I also tell people that if I die it’s because I ate this thing right here that smells funny / looks funny / tastes funny but I’m hungry so I’m eating it anyway. But I guess that’s a whole different kind of being careful.
Comment by Emily — May 23, 2008 @ 11:38 am
I’m worse than that – I keep a list of them in the memo section of my pda/phone so if anything funky happens they (the police who investigate my murder) can just look at the history and see my log!
Comment by Sara — May 23, 2008 @ 11:52 am
I take the subway to work but I do something similar in that I take note of strange people just in case I have to describe them later.
Comment by deni — May 23, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
I do this ALL THE TIME. And now that I work for the gov, I’ve called in a few suspicious/possible DWIs. That story is totally creeptastic, btw.
Comment by slynnro — May 23, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
i do it ALL THE TIME as well, but for a way dorkier reason: i’m not actually concerned for myself, usually, but in case the detectives on the case need to talk to witnesses, i want to be able to give accurate information. watch law & order too much? me? NEVER.
Comment by Alice — May 23, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
All the time! Because haven’t you seen those shows they’ve done on 20/20 where they set people up to be witnesses to crime (to show how reliable eye witness testimony is), then you find out the “witnesses” can’t remember jack about what they saw? The 5′10″ man with sandy blond hair becomes 6′3″, bald with tattoos, because people just don’t pay attention. So in my head I make notes as if I was describing the bad guy to the police (“6′, dark curly hair, blue shirt, red tennis shoes, black jeans, etc).
Comment by Shelly — May 23, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Will you hate me if I say that I can’t remember the last time I had a “creepiness run in”? But I think last time it did happen I did memorize the plate, so you’re not weird. (Apparently you don’t run into a lot of weirdos sitting in your own house in the suburbs all day with a couple of kids…)
Comment by Gretchen — May 23, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
YES! I memorize and/or write down license plates too. I also memorize descriptions (clothing, hair, height, build, etc.) of suspicious looking individuals. I, like Alice, have seen a bit much Law & Order type television.
Comment by JMC — May 23, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
I don’t do this mostly because I would never remember the plate number by the time I got somewhere to write it down (and I don’t see very many weird/creepy people in Duluth). But your story is totally creepy. I would feel like yelling “What!?” at the person, but that’s probably not the safest thing to do…good job on not getting abducted!
Comment by Becky — May 24, 2008 @ 8:06 am
That’s creepy! I don’t write down plate numbers but I do act like the Secret Service getting the children in and out of the car. I scan the neighborhood, parking lot, wherever, looking for anything “suspicious.” I’m also a dork about locking the car door as soon as I get inside.
Hope you’re enjoying your Memorial Day weekend. Come by…I answered your question!
Comment by Julie — May 26, 2008 @ 10:13 am
I just heard about the MN tornadoes – are you okay?
Comment by deni — May 26, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
Thanks, Deni – we are fine. We’re about 10 miles away from where some of the damage occurred, and about 25 miles away from where the major damage occurred. Thanks for thinking of us.
Comment by Shauna — May 26, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
Glad to hear it!
Comment by deni — May 26, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
I do this too! I’ve been doing it since I was a KID, which is even WEIRDER.
It’s oddly comforting to think that so many others do it.
Comment by Tessie — May 27, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Sh*t like that makes me think that the scales are too far tipped to the side of *ssholes.
Then I have a nice conversation, or meet awesome folks from, say, MINNESOTA, and I believe in the good of humanity gain.
Yep, I even make sure that the creep/*-hole/potentially-harmful-dude sees me either looking closely at them while memorizing what they look like and what they are waring, or let them see me looking at and then writing down their license plate info. I figure if they are still stupid/angry enough to do anything, they deserve everything that will come their way.
When I used to go to the bar with friends and was finding unwelcome leers in my direction, I would glare back until the creep left me alone. You know, to identify the rapist later and all that. Not the most positive of assumptions, sure, but I wanted to at least be armed with information if not a taser gun.
Oh! Angry, self-righteous MOTORISTS who get all bent out of shape by the SHEER AUDACITY OF PEDESTRIANS piss me off to high Heaven.
I have been known to hit and scrape the impatient, creepy cars who’ve blow by me in the pedestrian crosswalk with my umbrella.
Comment by Artemisia — May 27, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
Argh! My comment was eaten up.
The gist of it was this:
Self-righteous MOTORISTS who lose their sh*t over the SHEER AUDACITY OF PEDESTRIANS piss me off, clear to High Heaven.
Jeez.
Also, I do look at folks who creep me out/try to intimidate me. I stare them in the eye, and then make a point to stare at what they are wearing, what their license plate says, etc. I want them to know that if they intend to harm me, they’d better have the balls to follow it all the way through because I WILL IDENTIFY THEM.
I get pretty worked up when someone (especially men) thinks they can intimidate me. I’ll eat you alive, buddy.
Comment by Artemisia — May 27, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
Sorry Artemisia, I think your first comment got eaten because you almost swore. Hee! I unblocked it. Apparently, my spam catcher knows when you’re even *thinking* about swearing.
Comment by Shauna — May 27, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
Ha ha! Too funny! I’ll keep my rage PG-rated from now on.
Comment by Artemisia — May 28, 2008 @ 12:25 pm